International Taekwondo

The hyong in traditional Taekwon-Do represents the confrontation with an imaginary opponent. The correct execution of a hyong also includes paying attention to accurate execution, coordination, correct breathing, keeping one's balance and total concentration. The hyong is a prearranged set of offensive- and defensive-techniques. In traditional Taekwon-Do there are 20 hyongs. The hyong names and the technique diagrams represent famous persons or famous occurrences in Korean history.

- Chon-Ji Hyong  (Form 1)

Chon Ji means something like "Heaven and earth". In Asia these words mean the creation or the beginning of Man. Therefore Chon Ji is the Hyong which is learned as the first by beginners, because they are still at the beginning of their development. The Hyong consists of two similar parts. The first represents heaven, the second earth.
The Hyong contains 19 movements.

- Tan-Gun Hyong (Form 2)

Tan-Gun was a saint who founded according to the myth Korea in 2333 b.C.
The Hyong contains 21 movements.

- To-San Hyong (form 3)

To-San represents the patriot and freedom fighter Ahn Chang-Ho (1876-1938), who dedicated all of his life to the promotion of education in Korea and its movement of independence.
This Hyong contains 24 movements.
 

- Won-Hyo Hyong (form 4)

The famous monk Won-Hyo introduced Buddhism to Korea during the time of the Silla dynasty.
This Hyong contains 28 movements.

- Yul-Kok Hyong (form 5)

 Yul Kok represents the great scholar and philosopher Yi I (1536-1584 a.D.), also called "Konfutse of Korea".
The Hyong contains 38 movements. They rely to Yi I's birth place at the 38th parallel.
 

- Chung-Gun Hyong (form 6)

Korean scholar and freedom fighter (partisan)... governor-general of Korea, Hiro-Bumi Ito, who played an extremely important role in the Japanese-Korean War. In 1910 An Chung-Gun was executed at Yosun prison 32 years of age.

- T'oi-Gye Hyong (form 7)

T'oi-Gye was the pseudonym of the famous Korean scholar Li-Hwang living in the 16th century. He worked as a writer under the name of T'oi-Gye.
The 37 movements of the Hyong represent his birth place at the 37th parallel.

- Hwa-Rang Hyong (form 8)

Hwa-Rang was a Korean youth organization founded about 1350. This youth movement was a leading power in the struggle of uniting the
three Korean kingdoms.
The Hyong contains 29 movements

- Chung-Mu Hyong (form 9)

Chung-Mu was a famous Korean admiral whose real name was Yi Sun-Sin. He invented the first ironclad warship which was a predecessor of a submarine. The attack at the end of the Hyong, executed with the left fist , is to symbolize his early death before finishing his life work.
The Hyong contains 30 movements.

- Gwang-Gae Hyong (form 10)

King Gwang-Gae-T'oWang, 17th king of the Koguryo dynasty, reconquered all lost areas including Manchuria. The diagram represents the reconquering of the lost areas and the extension of Korea.
The 39 years of his dominion are represented by the 39 movements of the Hyong.

- Po-Eun Hyong (form 11)

Chong, Mong-Chu was a faithful Korean vassal and a famous poet, whose poems are very well known all over Korea. He was called Po-Eun and lived about 1400 a.D. He as well devoted his time to
research in Physics. The diagram of the Hyong symbolizes as a character his faith against his home country as well as his king during the end of the Koryo-dynasty.
The Hyong contains 36 movements.

- Gae-Bak Hyong (form 12)

It is called after the Korean general Ge-Baek, faithful to his king, who lived about 660 a.D. during the Paek-Chae-dynasty. The diagram of the Hyong symbolizes his harsh and bitter military discipline.
The Hyong contains 44 movements.

- Yu-Sin Hyong (form 13)

During the Silla-dynasty the Korean general Kim-Yu-Sin united Korea in 668 a.D., which was divided into three parts. The Hyong contains 68 movements,
which refer to the last to numbers of the year of Korea's unification.

- Chung-Yang Hyong (form 14)

This Hyong is called after a famous Korean general, Kim-Dok-Ryong. He achieved a great victory on the Mudung mountain 400 years ago during the Imzin war. The end of the Hyong, an attack with the left hand, symbolizes his tragic death only 27 years old.
The Hyong contains 52 movements.

- Ul-Ji Hyong (form 15)

This Hyong is called after the general Ul-Ji Mun Duk who lived in the 7th century. The diagram of the Hyong represents his second name. General Ul-Ji
used the tactics of the guerilla rather early in order to defend Korea against an Chinese invasion.
The Hyong contains 42 movements.

- Sam-Il Hyong (form 16)

The name of this Hyong is derived from the Korean Independence Day, which remembers on the people's rebellion on March 1st, 1919.The 33 movements represent the number of representatives of the people who were responsible for this action.

- Ko-Dang Hyong (form 17)

This Hyong takes its name after the pseudonym of the Korean patriot and freedom fighter Cho-Man-Sik. The Hyong contains 79 movements, which point at the geographic position of his place of birth.

- Ch'oi-Yong Hyong (form 18)

This Hyong has its name from the Korean chancellor and general of the 14th century. Ch'oi Yong was highly respected because of his loyalty, his modesty and his patriotism.
The Hyong contains 45 movements

- Se-Yong Hyong (form 19)

This Hyong is called by a Korean King, inventor of the Korean letters and famous meteor gist.
The Hyong contains 24 movements

- T'ong-Il Hyong (form 20)

This Hyong points to the reunification of Korea which has been divided since 1945. The diagram of the hyong symbolizes unity.
The Hyong contains 56 movements.